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SINGAPORE : Singapore filmmaker Jack Neo has produced his first English TV drama serial “Happily Ever After”, which will air on MediaCorp’s okto channel from Sunday.

He is better known for his Mandarin blockbuster movie “I Not Stupid” and top-grossing local film “Money No Enough”. And now, Jack Neo – whose 11 movies have grossed S$33 million to date – is crossing over to English TV drama.

He said: “It is my dream that I want to do drama. This is just the right timing. I wanted to do it because (for) some stories if you make it too short, like a movie, you will not be able to tell the whole story.”

“Happily Ever After” is based on real-life issues that confront married couples – from divorce to miscarriage and infidelity – and it was an intense ride for everyone involved.

MediaCorp artiste Ng Hui, who is the lead actress in “Happily Ever After”, said: “The emotional journey that the characters go through is a lot more intense, and it felt a lot more real. It is also because of the execution of the whole production – because of how the director wanted us to play out the characters – it felt very real.

“A lot of times we were trying to get a grip of ourselves as well, and there were times when I remember making comments to the scriptwriter, ‘Look, if I do not get married next time, I will definitely remember you because of this!'”

Jack Neo said: “Husband and wife after getting married, after 10 or 20 years, a lot of things you just take for granted, you cannot see anymore. You may ask yourself – last time, during ‘pak tor’ (dating), he or she likes to do some things for you and you feel touched, but now this is no more. What is happening? Is it because the love is gone?”

The eight-episode drama was filmed in 42 days and according to Jack Neo, it was shot on a budget of less than S$100,000 per episode, a challenge for the veteran filmmaker who is used to million-dollar movie budgets.

Unlike most English drama series, “Happily Ever After” will be shown non-stop for eight days, with a cliffhanger after every episode. And as directors tell Channel NewsAsia, it was shot in a stylistic, movie format.

The series will be shown on okto from March 1-8 at 9pm. This is the channel’s 13th original production since it was launched in October last year. – CNA/ms

SINGAPORE: Barely half a year after the release “Money No Enough 2”, comes another film by Jack Neo – together with director Gilbert Chan – exploring topical issues flavoured with a dollop of Singaporean humour.

“Love Matters” explores the lives of three guys: 52-year-old Tan Bo Seng (Henry Thia) who leads a routine life and seeks to revive the passion with his wife Jia Li (Yeo Yann Yann). There is the playboy Jeremy (Jack Lim) who proudly proclaims his motto for love as “Never to commit”. Lastly, there is Benny (Alex Leong) who has a huge crush on his classmate’s girlfriend Jennifer (Natalli) who typifies the Y-generation going through puppy love.

“The topic of love is not something that is openly discussed in the Asian society, but it does not mean that people don’t ponder about it or see it,” says Neo.

The subject of sex seems to be considered a taboo in Asian cultures, and perhaps it can be seen by the NC-16 rating, a first for Neo’s films, that has been slapped on by the Media Development Authority (MDA).

“I was surprised to hear that the movie had been rated as NC-16,” says Neo who insists that “Love Matters” does not carry any sex or nudity scenes.

Like all his films which probe, and urge for reflection, what Neo wanted to portray with his latest film was the power of love.

At the risk of sounding clich , “Love Matters” provides an entertaining look of love in a straight-laced society.

The movie which was filmed entirely in Kulua Lumpur, Malaysia, is about the happiness that is intrinsically tied to the notion of love that has the ability to heal and connect humans, shares Neo.

And on his blog, Neo mentions a quote that rings true in his latest movie, “Those who are not in love yearn for love; those who are loved don’t know how to love; and those who are in love for too long no longer feel the love.”

The lead stars of the film, funnyman with his trademark deadpan expression Henry Thia and Yeo Yan Yan, star of Royston Tan’s “881” were also engaged in a friendly banter about the distinct differences of “Western love” and “Asian love”.

“Western love is all about the speech. To them, saying ‘I Love You’ seems to be at the tip of their tongues, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I hear an Asian stuttering it,” jokes Yeo.

Indeed, Asians are more inclined to display small acts of affection.

For one, Yeo – who is currently single – admits that she is an easy target for simple acts of love. After all, actions speak louder than words!

“You can buy me just one stalk of flower on a random day, and I would be over the moon!” Yeo exclaims.

And more often than not, underlying these simple acts is how practical love is in nature, a distinct characteristic of ‘Asian love’.

Both Neo and Thia recounted personal incidents where they had been gently rebuked by their wives for “wasting” money on flowers during Valentine’s Day.

“I have since learned my lesson, and every time a special occasion rolls around, I know that the most fool-proof gift to my wife would be a red packet!” jokes Thia.

Laughter aside, Thia describes his long relationship with his wife, “Honest communication and being able to give whole-heartedly, without expecting anything in return are the keys (to a successful marriage). Of course, if (the act) is reciprocated, it is a bonus!”

Acting together as an on-screen couple came easy for Yeo and Thia, despite the former being the same age as Thia’s daughter in real life!

“Being a couple on screen was so natural, to the extent that it was scary!” exclaims Yeo.

And the telepathy and connection they had were obvious. Both of them were wearing the same colour shade (pink!) – which the duo maintained that they had decided on individually and it was just all a coincidence!

SINGAPORE: The script of a Singapore-made thriller about bloggers competing for popularity on the Internet has caught the attention of judges at the Golden Horse Film and TV Co-production Conference held in Taipei recently.

“Blog Stories” by director Jack Neo’s company Neo Studios, won an award for one of the top three scripts short-listed at the Conference as well as NT$200,000 (S$9,000).

The only submission from Singapore that secured a place in the finals, “Blog Stories” competed against 24 other movie scripts sent in from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The accomplishment by Neo Studios has reaffirmed their consistent efforts to develop a pool of commercially savvy script writers and movie directors.

Since the company began its efforts to identify talent earlier this year, more than 50 aspiring movie directors and script writers have submitted their works for evaluation.

“I am delighted. This proves that Singaporeans possess creative talent comparable with the best in the region. I am very grateful that our regional colleagues have given us this recognition,” said Jack Neo, Chairman of Neo Studios.

Slated to be released in mid 2009, the thriller will chronicle the lives of Asian young bloggers who in the quest for cyber popularity, become reckless in their competition to outdo each other by publishing ‘ghost stories’ online. Strange things begin to happen in real life when the bloggers get carried away by unbridled ego and pride.

“Blog Stories is an interesting script that involves co-production and creative talent from more than one country,” said Ms Peggy Chiao, Chair of the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. “We are pleased to see a high quality script submission from Singapore.”

Moving forward, Neo says his company is “in the process of finalising various production partners” and hopes that this particular production “will travel beyond Singapore”.

SINGAPORE: There’s no stopping Jack Neo. The film maker is back with his 13th feature film titled “Love Matters” which is set to hit theatres across Singapore during the Lunar New Year period next year.

Co-directed by Gilbert Chan, the movie, previously titled “Republic of Happiness”, revolves around the marriages and relationships of three men.

Starring good friend and actor Henry Thia, who has worked with Neo on the “Money No Enough” and “I Not Stupid” series, Malaysian actress, Yeo Yann Yann, and Malaysian radio presenter Jack Lim, “Love Matters” takes a sensitive look at love, happiness and issues concerning matters of the heart in contemporary Asian society.

Like all Jack Neo films, “Love Matters” promises a good deal of humour and entertainment. You can get a sneak peek of this movie in a handphone-off trailer which hits cinemas on 27 November.

The trailer will be played in Mandarin with English, Chinese and Malay subtitles. Neo first produced a handphone-off trailer for “Money No Enough 2” this year.

Host, writer and director Neo started his TV career in 1980 and has become one of the most successful local celebrities. His previous movies, “Money No Enough” and “I Not Stupid” have struck an emotional chord in Singaporeans.

SINGAPORE : A decade ago, with not that much money, Jack Neo went from a TV funny man who dressed up as an old lady, to create Singapore’s top grossing local film, “Money No Enough”.

As other film successes followed, the Cultural Medallion award winner is a film-maker who may just strike it rich again with the sequel “Money No Enough 2” despite little change to his movie making formula.

The winning formula is due in part to his two long time buddies, Mark Lee and Henry Thia, who along with Neo play the role of brothers facing different financial struggles in contemporary Singapore.

Meeting the funny men, it seemed clear that it couldn’t have been too difficult for the three, who seem like brothers in real life, to get into character!

As they teased and took digs at each other, I couldn’t help but feel at times that I was just a mere spectator at a larger than life family gathering.

Getting serious, Neo revealed that their latest project together was upsized with a S$1.5 million budget, his largest movie budget ever.

This allowed Neo to experiment more freely with special effects in the movie but rest assured that what drew the crowds, the ordinary Singaporean’s heart and struggles, remains core in the movie.

While there will be a good dose of laughter, just like life, there will also be some tears although it is totally unintentional says the film-maker/actor.

“Actually, I have never especially tried to make people cry,” said Neo, “Whenever I film a movie, I always use my heart to understand what’s going on. In real life, there are a lot of these (moving) issues (that are explored in the movie).”

What is different in “Money No Enough 2” besides a bigger budget, is Neo’s commitment to making new grounds once again.

For starters, the movie touches on several sensitive topics but survives the censorship board unscathed.

In terms of stars, look out for a guest appearance by Member of Parliament, Michael Palmer, TV actress Vivian Lai and half of the singing Ming Zhu Sisters, Zhu Ling Ling, all starring in their first big screen roles.

It’s a gutsy move by Neo, who is feeling the pressure of having to live up to the previous instalment’s performance at the box-offices.

“Of course (there’s stress),” said Neo almost immediately when the question of stress popped up.

“When the first instalment was released, people weren’t prepared for the socio-commentary that was being thrown their way. So whatever was shown, they would’ve been happy.

“But now, with the second instalment, people start having expectations. The biggest challenge would be for people to go in with an open mind” offered Neo.

Trying to lighten the stress, Lee showed his mathematical acumen by adding that the inevitable stress also comes from trying to match dollar to dollar, the previous S$5.8 million performance.

“Let’s analyse it this way, if the box office sales this time round are also S$5.8 million, it would mean that fewer people are coming to watch the movie. In the past, movie tickets cost S$5.50 or S$6.50. Tickets nowadays cost S$9.50, S$10!”

Although scheduled for release on July 31, there’s already been a huge volume of pre-sales, meaning Neo and the cast of “Money No Enough 2” are well on their way to breaking their own record… without too much stress.